OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Clayton County Board of Commissioners Work Session – April 14, 2026

Board of Commissioners — Tuesday, April 14, 2026
BodyClayton County, Georgia
SessionBoard of Commissioners
DateTuesday, April 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:08:40

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:02

The Clayson County Board of Commissioners meeting it's now the work session is now called to order.

0:08

The date is April 14th, 2026, and the time is 5 30 p.m.

0:14

Um, board members, at this time, are there any preliminary items from the from the next BLC meeting that you'd like to discuss right now?

0:22

No, not for me.

0:22

You know, okay.

0:24

All right.

0:25

All right.

0:25

Seeing none, we will move on.

0:28

Um second is a request.

0:30

Um, I mean, I'm sorry, first is Aerotropolis Update from CEO Shannon James.

0:35

Mr.

0:36

James, will you please come forward?

0:38

And I can't wait to hear from you today.

0:40

How are you doing?

0:41

Awesome, awesome, awesome.

0:44

All right, good evening or afternoon, Madam Chair, Council, Commissioners.

0:49

Okay.

0:50

Uh not sure if I should jump right in.

0:52

I see uh Commissioner Hambrick making our way.

0:56

Hello, Commissioner Allen.

0:58

Uh not sure if I've got about 15 minutes.

1:01

Is that fair?

1:02

Yeah, go you know you've got time.

1:04

Okay, I just I just want to make sure I stay on target.

1:06

You get too long.

1:07

Because I can.

1:08

You know I can.

1:09

Um excellent.

1:10

So I'm excited uh to be here with you guys this afternoon, Commissioner Hambrick.

1:14

Good evening, afternoon.

1:16

Uh looking forward to this presentation.

1:18

Lots of activity happening with the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, and I think I'm gonna fill you guys up this afternoon, specifically in Clayton County.

1:26

And so today, what we're gonna do is uh really just do a high-level revisit of who we are, what we're doing, our team.

1:33

Uh we'll spend a lot of time really on Blueprint 2.0, which we are very thankful for the Board of Commissioners for supporting us in financially, uh, which gave us a really unique experience to really deep dive from a data perspective on key sites and assets within the county to focus on and support to activate, which we have been active, and you'll hear here soon.

1:54

And then the future, right?

1:56

What we're working on in regards to future planning activity, which is a lot of.

2:01

Uh here's our team.

2:03

Uh we're small but mighty.

2:05

Our vice president Brian Dorellis, who leads all of our collective work, our economic workforce and community development, including our projects, uh unique projects and state projects.

2:15

Valencia White, uh, who really runs our office uh right here in Clayton County, which I'll speak to later.

2:21

And then last but not least, Shantae Foster, our marketing and communications manager, who everything that you see feel and touch.

2:27

It's literally Shantae Foster, uh, who is uh East Point native.

2:32

What is the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance?

2:34

And so it's important that we kind of set the stage of kind of who we are.

2:38

We're 12 years old.

2:39

Um think most of us have kids, even grandkids, and uh we're 12, right?

2:44

We're growing up, we're getting there for sure, and I think that's indicative of our work.

2:49

Our mission is to serve as a catalyst, uh, key word catalyst for regional economic competitive competitiveness for the area surrounding Hartsfield, Jackson.

2:58

Uh, exclusively in South Fulton and Clayton County, 15 jurisdictions.

3:03

Uh economic competitiveness is a big term we like to say uh when corporations and communities are thriving.

3:10

That's our vision of economic competitiveness.

3:13

Uh, our vision is to become an inclusive keyword inclusive world-class destination for all those who live, learn, work and play in the aerotropolis region.

3:22

We're governed by a 42-member board.

3:25

Uh Madam Chair serves on that board.

3:26

She's also in our executive committee as a result of our unique relationship with the county commission.

3:32

Uh, our key initiatives evolve around regional economic workforce and community development and also international relations.

3:39

We have a huge international arm that we spend time building our relationships with international partners to garner interest in our region and our work.

3:47

Our core competency, we are a master convener, right?

3:51

We convene.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development█████████████████████████████████33%
Personnel Matters███████████████████████████████31%
Affordable Housing███████7%
Budget Equity Analysis███████7%
Workforce Development██████6%
Community Engagement██████6%
Procedural████4%
Public Engagement███3%
Technology and Innovation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Clayton County Board of Commissioners Work Session – April 14, 2026

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners held a work session on April 14, 2026, at 5:30 PM, adjourning at approximately 6:00 PM. The meeting covered four agenda items: an update from the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, a transition to a new benefits enrollment system, the fiscal year 2027 budget presentation schedule, and a policy framework for utilizing county lobbyists.

Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance Update

  • Speaker: CEO Shannon James presented a high-level review of the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance’s work, emphasizing Blueprint 2.0, which was supported financially by the Board of Commissioners.
  • Statistics: 96% of original Blueprint action items have been completed. Blueprint 2.0 focuses on key sites: Mountain View (Phase 1 activated with about 500,000 sq ft of industrial space), Ford Square (final contract negotiations for mixed‑use development at 4851 Jonesboro Road), Dixie Road (complicated site with active stakeholder discussions), and 5711 Jonesville Road (interest but no contract yet).
  • Multimodal Trails: A $64.9 million federal grant for a multimodal trail was “gutted” by the administration, but the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) funded a $3.5 million multimodal trail study—the largest in ARC’s history—to connect the Atlanta BeltLine into Clayton County.
  • Workforce Programs: The seventh annual College, Career and Resource Expo hosted about 300 Clayton County students and 46 entities. The upcoming Hiring and Resource Fair (May 9, 2026) expects over 1,000 attendees; at the last event, 375 of 670 attendees (over 50%) walked out with careers. A health‑care cohort with Strive ATL graduated 17 participants; 15 obtained jobs immediately (all Clayton County residents).
  • Housing Study: A CDAP housing study was awarded by ARC, led by KB Advisory, covering most cities in the county. Housing was the top priority emerging from the Terra Boulevard LCI study.
  • Future Plans: A strategic leadership visit to Charlotte, NC is planned for October 2026 to build cross‑jurisdictional relationships.
  • Commissioner Questions: Commissioners asked about bus tours, deals closed (two properties—Riverdale apartment complex and unincorporated Clayton County industrial site), relationship with the CID (Gerald McDowell), hotel/hospitality presence, and how to prioritize workforce/affordable housing. Shannon James expressed full support for affordable housing and said the housing study will guide intentional development over the next 12–24 months.

Benefits Enrollment System Transition

  • Speakers: HR Director Pam Ambles, Benefits Manager Angela Wood, and Marsh McClinton Agency’s Jack Thompson.
  • Background: The current system (Alight SmartBen) is sunsetting on December 31, 2026. After an RFP process, PlanSource was selected.
  • Key Features: PlanSource integrates with the county’s Tyler Munis payroll system, adds a new call center for employees and retirees, performs payroll deduction auditing, and handles ACA reporting. The system will also administer flexible spending accounts, COBRA, and bill reconciliation.
  • Cost: The three‑year contract’s annual cost after full implementation is approximately $301,771. However, because carriers (Kaiser, United Healthcare, etc.) will offset the costs, the transition will cost the county $0 from a dedicated wellness technology fund.
  • Implementation: Kicks off May 1, 2026, with go‑live by October 1, 2026—in time for January 1, 2027 open enrollment.
  • Personnel Note: Jack Thompson announced his retirement effective June 30, 2026, and introduced his successor, Mark Johnson.
  • Board Questions: Commissioner Davis asked about alternatives if carriers refuse to pay; Jack Thompson replied the county could replace those carriers. A question about additional costs for custom APIs/EDIs with Tyler Munis was acknowledged but not immediately answered; HR Director Ambles confirmed IT was involved throughout the selection process.

Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Presentation

  • Speaker: CFO Mr. Jackson.
  • Public Budget Meetings: Announced for April 20, 2026 (department head presentations) and April 27 – May 1, 2026, all in the Commissioners Boardroom. Times will be shared later. The meetings will be recorded and advertised in the Clayton County newspaper and on the county website.
  • Budget Committee: Composed of CFO Jackson, COO Stanford, Chairwoman Anderson Henry, and Commissioner Davis (as Vice Chair Hambrick’s designee).

Utilization of Lobbyists

  • Speaker: COO Deitrich Stanford.
  • Proposed Policy: To provide clear direction to the lobbyists, the COO recommended that any elected official or department with a lobbyist request present it at the September work session for inclusion in the October adoption of the legislative agenda. For post‑adoption requests, an email would be sent to the board for consensus on whether the request aligns with the adopted agenda.
  • Cost: No change to the current lobbyist contract.
  • Board Direction: The board discussed the recommendation and indicated support; it will be placed on a future agenda for ratification.

Key Outcomes

  • Aerotropolis Update: No formal vote; board expressed continued support and appreciation. Shannon James encouraged commissioners to call in for further questions and partnerships.
  • Benefits Transition: Board consensus to proceed with PlanSource implementation, with $0 cost to the county. Start date: May 1, 2026; go‑live by October 1, 2026.
  • Budget Meetings: Dates were announced and publicized; commissioners requested timely communication to residents.
  • Lobbyist Policy: The recommended framework received verbal consensus; formal ratification expected at a subsequent meeting.
  • No formal votes were recorded; all items were presented for discussion and direction.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. The Clayson County Board of Commissioners meeting it's now the work session is now called to order. The date is April 14th, 2026, and the time is 5 30 p.m. Um, board members, at this time, are there any preliminary items from the from the next BLC meeting that you'd like to discuss right now? No, not for me. You know, okay. All right. All right. Seeing none, we will move on. Um second is a request. Um, I mean, I'm sorry, first is Aerotropolis Update from CEO Shannon James. Mr. James, will you please come forward? And I can't wait to hear from you today. How are you doing? Awesome, awesome, awesome. All right, good evening or afternoon, Madam Chair, Council, Commissioners. Okay. Uh not sure if I should jump right in. I see uh Commissioner Hambrick making our way. Hello, Commissioner Allen. Uh not sure if I've got about 15 minutes. Is that fair? Yeah, go you know you've got time. Okay, I just I just want to make sure I stay on target. You get too long. Because I can. You know I can. Um excellent. So I'm excited uh to be here with you guys this afternoon, Commissioner Hambrick. Good evening, afternoon. Uh looking forward to this presentation. Lots of activity happening with the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, and I think I'm gonna fill you guys up this afternoon, specifically in Clayton County. And so today, what we're gonna do is uh really just do a high-level revisit of who we are, what we're doing, our team. Uh we'll spend a lot of time really on Blueprint 2.0, which we are very thankful for the Board of Commissioners for supporting us in financially, uh, which gave us a really unique experience to really deep dive from a data perspective on key sites and assets within the county to focus on and support to activate, which we have been active, and you'll hear here soon. And then the future, right? What we're working on in regards to future planning activity, which is a lot of. Uh here's our team. Uh we're small but mighty. Our vice president Brian Dorellis, who leads all of our collective work, our economic workforce and community development, including our projects, uh unique projects and state projects. Valencia White, uh, who really runs our office uh right here in Clayton County, which I'll speak to later. And then last but not least, Shantae Foster, our marketing and communications manager, who everything that you see feel and touch. It's literally Shantae Foster, uh, who is uh East Point native. What is the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance? And so it's important that we kind of set the stage of kind of who we are. We're 12 years old. Um think most of us have kids, even grandkids, and uh we're 12, right? We're growing up, we're getting there for sure, and I think that's indicative of our work. Our mission is to serve as a catalyst, uh, key word catalyst for regional economic competitive competitiveness for the area surrounding Hartsfield, Jackson. Uh, exclusively in South Fulton and Clayton County, 15 jurisdictions.

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